My final entry in the WRVAG Show is this gouache watercolor painting that I call Grand Glory. It is 18"x24" and is painted on #1 Illustration Board

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SOLD

The gallery has become very busy and as my pardner is busy this week being in charge of the Big Mountain Man Rendezvous in Pinedale, Wyoming I have been putting in a lot of hours at the gallery and not getting as much painting time as I would like. However I have finished this Oil of a scene from above my house looking north across the green meadows, Badlands and the Ramshorn Peak with early morning Thundershowers forming over the northern sky. This is from some photos I took the other morning. It is a 12"x15" Oil Painting I call WIND RIVER THUNDER and it is the last painting of the 6 I will be entering in the WRVAG Show which has an entry delivery deadline by next tuesday.

A single wild Rose

This fragile little blossom is reminescent of the watercolors so masterfully done by Jaqueline Gnott. Check out her blog and see if you don't agree with me.

The indians refered to this time of the calendar as the month of Wild Roses. It is aptly named as the river bottoms are alive with the beauty and scent of these thorny but beautiful flowers. My yard is certainly adorned with these beauties.
My river has dropped the last few days and I can now even see underwater my favorite rock for sitting on as I watch river life flow by and happen. By now that is possible but gonna be a while yet this year.
gkeimig@dteworld.com

I think I have pretty well finished this painting, HIDDEN BUCK 24"x30" Gouache Watercolor and in time for the National WRVAG Show coming up in a few weeks.

After a busy 4th and befor the fireworks begin at dark I drove up the hill west and above town to get a look at the hail that had fallen across the Badlands and on NE of Dubois where we heard [later confirmed] that the whole East Fork road system is no more. Quite a cloudburst. Dubois was just on the edge of the storm and I heard from several folks who say hail is still piled up east of Dubois along the hiway 2-3" deep this afternoon.

My pardner, Tom Lucas looking over the bronzes and the sculture gardens. Quite and addition to the fast growing art mecca of Dubois.

Buds bronze, the old time Cowboy depicting a late 1800's cowboy looking over an indian spearpoint he has dismonted to pick up and get a closer look at. As I mentioned it is the face of Butch Cassidy who had a small ranch here in Dubois befor hitting the Outlaw Trail. Bud's grand father actually rode with him and ran a horse ranch east of here for outlaw get aways.

In the first day after the 4th and the unveiling it is amazing to see how many folks are wandering through the flower garden and looking over these bronzes.

After a fantastic parade as only a small out of the way little western town can do. Only one horse wreck and fast ending because of a sudden down pour, my pardner, Tom Lucas and I walked across the street for a better look at the bronzes and to get some good pictures of them.

John Phelps bronze. John is best known world wide as the father of Chance Phelps from the recently filmed HBO movie, TAKING CHANCE. An awful way to be remembered. This is a great piece. The cowgirl is actually holding an apple in the one hand behind her back. The bronze is designed in such a way as the public[children]is encouraged to sit on the colt and have their picture taken.

Silver Sage Gallery pardner, Bud Boller is presenting his Bronze depicting the old Time Cowboy who has dismonted and looking over a Spearpoint he has found. All depicting first time residents to the Wind River valley confronting the ancient culture so prevalent in our area.

Yesterday being the 4th of July in Dubois it was very busy for the gallery and town. At noon was the unveiling of the 2 bronzes in the town sculture gardens across from the Silver Sage Gallery.

After several speeches from several folks on the town history and the meaning of the ronzes, John Phelps bronze was unveiled and here he poses with Leota Didier who was so instrumental in seeing this project accomplished.

John's bronze was depicting women and their western heritage and contribution to the area history. A 1930's cowgirl is feeding a colt an apple.

Just had to post this picture of my daughter, Kim with her husband Harry Leseberg. Yep. He is 6foot 7 and Kim is 5foot 3. They surprised us by coming to Dubois from Pine Haven[near Devils Tower area of Wyoming]the other evening and stayed into the 4th of July.

We were blessed yesterday by a group of gals who have gotten together doing music and they set up and played in the gallery for a good 2 1/2 hours. They call themselves the Celtic Cowgirls and they are pretty good. It certainly created a lively atmosphere for 4th of July festivities. We'll be hearing more from them. They recently played down in Browns Park, Colorado and were a hit down there.
They got my gallery pardner, Tom Lucas to join in on a number of songs with his harmonica which he is really great on. What fun it was. They are certainly welcome at anything we do.

For Sheila who asked me to post a picture of the painting I did for the last Jackson Hole Fall Art Festival quick-draw held every year in the town square in Jackson, Wyoming. It was a Gouache Watercolor painting of the Grand Tetons from Schwabachers Landing on the Snake River. The matting on the painting is not textured but rather caught the reflection of the tree leaves on the glass. Interesting anyway.

Another pretty good day on this painting. It is slowly coming together.
24"x30" Gouache Watercolor.

Just had to post this because of my remarks to Jill Berry on the recently posted photograph of Crawfish Creek from trip to Yellowstone the other day.
Moose falls is often painted by artists familiar with it. I have seen paintings of it a number of times in art magazines.
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My painting aftr a long day of working pretty diligently at it.

Another painting I am working on this week is this 12"x24" Oil painting and I got a lot of work done on it today. It is a scene from north of town on Brent Creek. Just off Horse Creek it is full of Aspen, Pine and mountain parks. A lot of wildlife utilize the area and is close to town for hikes when one only has a short time to do so.

I put the final touches to my oil painting, Wild Phlox. It is 11"x15"

My wife, Vicki and pardner Chris Phelps each have their Birthdays on June 21 and for the second year in a row we had a cake at the reception for them. Chocolate and Strawberry. Good and sweet.
After a hectic weekend and running the gallery the first part of the week Vicki and I took off wednesday and went to Jackson, the Tetons, and late afternoon up to Yellowstone where we hiked around the Snake River at the south entrance and then on up to Crawfish Creek and Moose Falls where we hiked about a 1/2 mile upstream. It is one of my favorite streams in the country and so overlooked by anyone. Most folks don't even know about the falls and it is amusing to watch a steady stream of people drive by the parking lot oblivious to what they are passing. I just never see any tracks along the stream from folks walking up there. It is pretty rough with a lot of downfall but I guess that keeps it off limits for a lot of folks. We stopped at Flagg Ranch at the south entrance to use the facilities and I overheard a couple pouring over a Yellowstone map. The fellows wife was informing him "We are here and here is where we want to be by 7:00." What a way to spend a trip. If they only knew what they were missing by having to be "there"
By evening we stopped at Colter Bay on the way back home for supper and I had one of the best Buffalo Burgers I have had in some time. That really surprised me.
After Supper we are on the road again and climbing toward Togwottee Pass when at nearly dark we find a large Grizzly Boar strolling through the Sagebrush and timber about 150 feet off the road. I try to get a few pictures but they don't turn out. Just too dark. We watch him for a good 10-15 minutes and finally loose sight of him in the darkness and timber. What an animal. On up and over the pass we have to really watch it as there are a lot of elk on the hiway. We brake numerous times for them. Quite an eventful day.

Ken Stitley and his wife with Chris Phelps on the left and Jane Skaar who is a wonderful watercolorist and a member of Women Artist of the West

Here are some of the folks who seemed to really enjoy themselves.

Last saturday night we had our yearly Open House at Silver Sage Gallery and it was well attended with pretty good sales. It is quite a feed we put on. Here my wife, Vicki is putting out the goodies assisted by Gary and Rita Felton from Torrington, Wyoming who spent a few days in Dubois and were a great help to us. Thank you Gary and Rita.

this is the photo I took while visiting my daughter in Frannie, Wyoming several winters ago. Her husband Clay Ward has a finishing studio where he does welding and Patina work on Bronzes. 99% for D Michael Thomas of Buffalo, Wyoming and one of the premier western Sculptors of today. Clay and Janets place is right on the Wyoming, Montana border NE of Cody, Wyoming and at the foot of the Pryor Mountains which is home to the last surviving true blood Wild Spanish Mustangs. [quite a horse]Anyway we did a little trip up the mountainside where I got this picture with the idea in mind of putting a Buck lying along the log. You will notice I dropped the landscape in favor of simplifying and used a flat sky instead. I like so much of the rest of it though I am staying pretty close to what there is.

I had started this painting yesterday and worked on it today with a lot of interruptions from gallery visitors. I am still into the blocking in stage but as I go I have been inserting some detail into it.

I am getting a little backlogged on my art with about 4 or 5 pieces in the works but I wanted to get this painting of A Mule Deer Buck lying behind a log with a light covering of snow on the ground started. I had entered the idea [title]in a show that is fast approaching and so I am off and running on it. I am using gouache watercolor on Number1 Illustration board. It is 24"x30".

I finally received my WESTERN ART COLLECTOR magazine and the photograph of myself doing the quick-draw at the Jackson Hole Fall Art Festival in Jackson, Wyoming at the town square. This event is held every September and it is usually snowing or a cold rain falling. Makes for a really fun event though as the auction is lively and prices are outstanding. My piece in this picture went for $2,750.00. A new record for me in a quick-draw. We are given 1 hour to complete our paintings and 15 minutes to frame them up. [I think they should hold it every day]
This has been a pretty cool Birthday as I received both the Peaks and Plains magazine with my article and this magazine today. Along with the T V event last weekend. Makes being 68 almost tolerable even though I am sure I am now over the hill and sliding so fast I can't grab the trees going by.

The article can be read by clicking onto the image.

I had posted this pix in my Painting-A-Day blog but wanted to post the article as it appeared in Peaks And Plains magazine just out. It is always a great deal when someone thinks enough of your work to want to do a story on you so for the story or my own ego-Here it is.
I have also had several e-mails from artist friends who say my picture painting at the Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival is in the current issue of the Western Art Collector magazine. Somehow my subscription to this magazine has expired and I missed it. It is one of my favorites so will have to rectify that as soon as possible.

I spent the day working on my Oil Painting of Wild Phlox. Another good day on it and I should have it.

I got back to work on my Great Horned Owl[Oil Painting]where I am tediously painting in the snow laden branches

I have begun this painting 12"x16" on gessoed Masonite based on some photographs I recently took of Wild Phlox, one of our first wildflowers of the season now blooming on prairie and mountainslopes. Still determined to figure out acrylic painting I began this with an underpainting of acrylic and am now working oil into it. After two days of working while sitting at the gallery with interuptions from visitors this is where I stand.
I did take off sunday about noon for Riverton to do the promised painting for the state PBS Television fund raiser. Didn't really know what to expect but it tunrned out to be a blast. We left in a blinding snow storm. Yep. Snow. And it was pretty heavy snow for about 30 miles then heavy rain rest of the way [75 miles]The event began at 5:00 pm and I began a 15"x20" Gouache watercolor painting using a #1 illustration board as a surface. One of the T V people started the auction at $225.00 to get things going. After about an hour of painting a few bids were being phoned in and was up to $500.00. Mostly by folks I knew from around Wyoming. Several hours into the program it picked up a litle and by 9:00 pm I put the mat and frame around it so folks would know what they were getting into. Bidding really jumped then and finally went for $1125.00. A lady from Powell, Wyoming was the high bidder. The painting was of a summer Aspen Grove with early morning light hitting the main focus aspens. During an interesting program being aired on the Overland Trail they would periodically break and give a speil on their fund raising and show me painting and interviewing me as we went.[got a few plugs in on our gallery]The interviewer made a comment that There should be some deer in the painting but they were scared off so by next break I had put in a doe and fawn. I think that helped in the bidding too. They were happy and I had a great time. We even got a paid for room at the Holiday Inn so it was even more fun playing tourist. Heading for home on monday morning we once again ran into snow in Dubois. Will it ever quit?

Woke this morning to the sound of light rain on the roof which is a pleasant sound not often enough heard in this dry country. The temperature was 40 degrees and has been steadily dropping throughout the morning. Is now 32 and big snow flakes falling. Is even getting white out. This bedraggled wet Mule Deer Doe came slowly walking down my road browsing away as she went. She is taking this June weather in stride. Is to snow during the day today and snow at night the next 4-5 days with rain during the day. even with all the rain the river continues to slowly drop. Still high but looking a lot better than a few days ago.
Well it snowed just enough to get the grass and cars white but I see some vehicles coming off the pass with 3-4 inches on top.

I am back to work on my Great Horned Owl. 18"x24" Oil Painting. Working now on the Spruce boughs.

I have been away from my blog a few days and contrary to what some believe. I have not been swept away nor is my house now a house boat floating on its way to Boysen Reservoir 100 miles downstream. There are a number of my blogger friends including my own mother who are inquiring about that. Guess I had better give her a call today.
The gallery has kept me busy and another framing project and a day for a trip to Lander and the dentist[ouch]That is a 150 mile round trip but affords and opportunity to get groceries and such.
I have to make another trip this time to Riverton, Wyoming tomorrow where I will do a painting in a several hour period for PBS [Public Broadcasting T V]who are running a fund raising event and will be featuring me and my painting. The painting I will be doing will be offered for bid during the evening. We get a room at the Holiday Inn for our endeavors so won't have to return to Dubois late at night.
I also will be in Casper, Wyoming on July 7, for a ribbon cutting ceremony to dedicate a new building at the Central Wyoming Rodeo and Fair grounds. It is a wing built for 4-H kids and they are featuring my art work on a large sign at the building. Guess the event will include putting me in a cherry picker and hoisting me up to the sign to sign my name and of course some recognition for the art endeavors. Will be fun anyway.
Got news yesterday that a grizzly had been strolling the hill above my house. Word was they live trapped it and he now lives just south of Yellowstone. Last time we heard that kind of story was when a Grizz had gotten into the neighbors cat food down the river and suposedly trapped it on a certain night that my sister was staying with us and sleeping out in her camper shell. That proved to be eronious as it was not trapped untill several nights later. At that same neighbors house.

My pardner, Tom Lucas who lives in Lander 75 miles east of here parks his trailer in my yard to use when he is up doing his gallery sitting chores. His wife might be a litttle concerned this morning to see the water nearly up to the rear wheels of their trailer.

I do the weather measuring for the U S Weather Bureau. A volunteer job but I find it quite interesting. I recorded 0.99 inches of rainfall last night which is an awful lot of rain for this country. Along with the high flows from snowmelt it really is high now. Have had several calls from Weather Bureau this morning to check things out and they tell me this is now in the top 10 for runoffs since records have been kept. Thank goodness a lot of what is falling in the mountains is snow which will keep things slowed down now. It is only 40 degrees here this morning and will be cold the next few days. I was to take the weather tape out of that machine that is right at the edge of the water but I think I will wait another day.

The inevitable has happened. We received 0.99 inches of rain last night and it has not helped with the high water from snow melt still going on. This picture is from the side of my house looking across my fence to Cowboy Robs picknic area. Cowboy Rob is receiving a real Baptism this morning.

I had a little more time today to do my art and tackled my Mule Deer painting. I think it is pretty well finished.
JAKEYS FORK MULIES
15"x30" Oil Painting
http://gkeimig@dteworld.com

Ever now and then we all have one of those days when the paintbrush and colors and canvass seems to hold magic. Today was one of those days for me.
I spent a good portion of the morning visiting with gallery visitors who were in the mood of asking endless questions and explaining how Aunt Martha paints. I was able to put down a fast acrylic underpainting on this gessoed masonite with a quick color scheme that I wanted. This was done in about 15 minutes and I was happy with what I had done. Finally about mid afternoon I was able to get to my oils and get to work. It seemed like the paint flowed without any fighting on my part for values and adjustments. Everything seemed to work effortlessly. In an hour I set it in front of Tom my pardner for critiquing and he suggested the lighter light just behind the trees. Five more minutes it was done.
We have been having some incredible cloud displays the last few days and nights and this is the inspiration for that. Besides I love doing clouds.
It is a 11"x15" Oil Painting on 1/8" gessoed untempered masonite that I gesso myself.
Several posts ago a question was put to me about wheather I liked putting down an Acrylic underpainting. I was not sure when I did that painting[The Mule Deer in the snow on canvas]but I sure liked how it workd with this painting.
SOLD
WWW.SILVERSAGEGALLERY.COM

Today turned out to be the nicest day of the season and we at Silversage Gallery decided to have a barbeque out our back door next to the town Parking lot. We had picked up a brand new barbequer and I put it together and must have done a pretty good job as there were no parts left over. Some cooked chicken breasts and hotdogs and good friends and we were off. From left myself, Tom Lucas, Dan Miller peaking around the corner, my wife, Vicki, Tammy Lucas in the chair, Les LeFevre, and Chris Phelps. Les wife, Cathy was kind enough to take our picture.
Tom had a really great sales day but balked when I tried to change the menu from chicken to lobster.
We did shortly have to retire inside as we soon noticed a Mountain Bluebird pair were trying to build a nest in a hole in the cinderblock wall of the building just above the Barbequer. They were having a hard time trying to put up with our activity.

As I

drove up into my yard this evening I was greeted by several deer. They merely looked me over and only this little fawn from last year even bothered to get up and nonchalantely checked out the ground for spring morsels. They are pretty rugged looking at this time of year.

I ended up the first part of the week doing picture framing for a rancher out east of town so it really feels good to get back behind the easle in the gallery. Things are beginning to get busy and there are a lot of interruptions but it is fun meeting and visiting with folks from all over the world. Especially today where we had a great sales day.

I have started this large sheet watercolor 22"x28" as my deer painting is still not dry enough to work on and I got a little excited about starting this instead of the Owl I had started[see posting somewhere down my blog]and should be trying to finish up. And it is keeping me from working on a commission I should be doing but can't seem to get started on.

My river this morning is running a little high and angry. We are in the middle of Spring runoff and it is up to my yard. A natural occurance that would have most folks a little apprehensive but we have a saving grace here. The elevation. It gets cold at night and that acts as a natural control on the flow. This morning it is 30 degrees and with the rain yesterday afternoon my yard is ice covered. Even the rains here are cold rains and you can be assured that it is snow in the mountains which also acts as a great control. As the snow melts higher and higher during the season it is controlled even further as it gets colder and colder at those elevations.

Notice the line of leaves along the left side of the picture. You can tell the high water mark from the night befor as the highest occurs about 2-3:00 A M That is the time it takes for the snow melt from the previous day to reach us.

Spring is here though as within the last few days the leaves have come out on the trees and bushes and I even saw some tulips yesterday in some folks yards. The town deer will love that.

Horses are even lead off into the cottonwoods here in the town park to further cool down. After a set time of rest at the start of the gun everything is again loaded up and the same process starts again only this time as they return they have to set up Wall tents and the gear distributed in a certain pattern such as would make a neat camp. At times during this event with all the speed and commotion going on it is not uncommon for riders to loose a horse or two and across the hills can be found a riderless horse racing along. Sometimes with saddle or even pack saddle and possibly gear scattered to the sagebrush. Even in the mountains this can happen as we have had horses roll and break pack saddles, buck them off. You just have to be prepared for anything. It is certainly a place to have as gentle a horse as you can find.

I was unable to stay for the continuation of this part of the race. Combined times for the series of events determines the winner along with penalty points factored in.

The next day the race involves womens teams which can be pretty wild.

Panniers[boxes built of wood and covered by rawhide or the modern ones made of fiberglass]that hold gear are unloaded from both sides of the pack saddle. After all the gear is neatly piled and covered by the manti the horses are unsaddled and let cool.

Unpacking. One rider is jsut removing the manti[the brown canvas tarp]while the other is stacking gear.

Memorial Day in Dubois. Typically cool rainey and even snowey at times. Today is no exception. It is raining pretty good this morning and about 40 degrees. I thought it might be of interest to post this series of pictures of one of our summer events. I have had to work in the Gallery over the weekend but escaped for a few minutes to catch the first leg of the Packhorse Races. This event some 15 years ago was pretty popular around the state of Wyoming but as far as I know Dubois is the only town still holding them.

The event begins with a 2 man team and three horses. At the sound of the starting gun each team[there were 8 teams this year]must take down a preset tent pack it and all other gear that one might find in the mountains at an outfitters camp and pack the pack horse. Judges are watching everything and the diamond hitch can get you points deducted if not done properly- then they are off for [I'm guessing]a 3-4 mile ride. One man pulling the pack horse and an outrider who cannot pass the rider with the packhorse. They also cannot break out of a trot or are penalized by judges who are stationed along the route. In this picture they are just riding back into "camp" where they must unpack and unsaddle their horses and neatly stack their gear

I dug this painting out from my "Fire starter" pile with hopes of resurrecting it. It looks a whole lot better than it did. I have even put it in a frame and hung it in the gallery with a price tag on it. It is a 9"x12" Oil Painting, ALPINE MEADOW
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I got back to work on my Mule Deer painting and have taken out the deer in the opening and put in the forground Buck. It is reading a lot better now.